Switch.



J. HOLDSWORTH 6; F. R. BLACKBURN. SWITCH.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 50, 1911.

Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

, 2 SHEBTSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES: INVENTORS Kym 73%;? r/1 31 7.7; zZM/mmm WW A TTORNE is.

J. HOLDSWORTH & P. R. BLACKBURN.

SWITCH.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 30, 1911.

. Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HOLDSWORTH AND FRANK n. BLACKBURN, or MONONGAHELA,

. PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH.

Application filed March 30, 1911.

ton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to switches and more particularly to switch frogs used 1n connection with industrial. railways,as mines having small gage tracksalthough the switch frog is applicable to steam and street railways.

The primary object of our invention is to provide a switch frog that can be easily and quickly operated to insure perfect safety of rolling stock passing over said frog and rails connected thereto.

Another object of our invention is to furnish a switch frog with a movable rail section that can be locked to prevent accidental displacement by rolling stock passing over the same.

A further object of our invention is to provide a switch frog of the above type that is positive in its action, free from injury by ordinary use, inexpensive to install, and highly efficient for the purposes for which it is intended.

lVith the above and other objects in view the invention resides in a novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to he hereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, in which Figure 1 is a plan. of the switch frog, partly in horizontal section. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan of a portion of the same. Fig. 3 is the enlarged plan of a portion of the frog partly broken away and partly in section. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same. and Fig. 5 is a crosssectional view of the frog. 7

The reference numerals 1 denote ties supporting an outer rail 2 and a frog plate 3, said frog plate supporting the ends of rails and the ends of rails 5 and 6. The rails 4 cooperate with the rail 2 in providing a track and the rails 5 and 6 cooperate with another rail (not shown) in providing.'an-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 617,967.

other track. The frog plate 3 is spiked or otherwise connected to the ties l, as at 7 and is of a sufficient length to support the ends of the rails 4, 5 and 6. The rails 4 are adapted to longitudinally aline, also the rails 5 and 6, and arranged at the inner ends of said rails are rail braces 8 suitably secured to the plate 3 and serving functionally as stops.

9 denotes a rail pivotally mounted upon the plate 3 intermediate the confronting ends of the rails 4, 5 and 6 and this rail is adapted to alternately aline with the ends of the rails 4 and with the ends of the rails.

5 and 6. Connected to the web of the movable rail 9, as at 10 are bars 11 andthese bars support horizontal curved arms 12 adapted to extend through guides 13 mount.- ed upon the plate 3.

14 denotes a sectional casing having the sections thereof bolted or otherwise connected, as at 15 to the web of the movable rail section 9. The confronting edges of the sections of said casing being oflset, as at 16 to provide clearance for the head of the movable rail 9, thereby preventing the flanged wheels of the rolling stock from interfering with the casing. The casing is employed to protect the curved arms 12 and prevent matter from interfering with the movementof said arms. For fear that water or other matter might accumulate in the casing 14, the frog plate 3 is provided with openings 17 to allow such matterto pass through the plate on to the roadbed.

18, 19and 20 denote bearings mounted upon the ends of the ties 1, adjacent to the rail 2, and pivotally mounted in said bearings are bell cranks 21, 22 and 23 respectively. The outer ends of the bell cranks are pivotally connected to coupling members 24 and these members are connected by rods 25 to a main operating rod 26. The inner ends of the bell cranks 21 and 22 are pivotally connected respectively, as at 27 to transverse rods 28 and 28, each having the ends thereof loosely mounted in openings 29 provided therefor in the bearings 11 and the web of the rail 9, the ends'of the rods 28 being loosely held by nuts 30 screwed upon the end of each rod.

31 denotes a vertical shaft journaled in the frog plate 3 adjacent to the ends of the rails 4 and 6 and mounted upon the lower end of said shaft is a crank 32 and a sectortoothed wheel 33. The end of the crank 32 Patented Dec. 31,1912.

is connected by a rod bell crank 23.

35 denotes a gear wheel located upon the under side of the frog plate 3 and meshing with the sector gear 33, said gear wheel having the hub thereof journaled in an opening 36 provided therefor in the plate 3. Upon the hub of the gear Wheel 35 is mounted a locking member 37, said member and said gear wheel being retained in engagementwith the frog plate 3 by a bolt 38 and a keyed nut 39. The locking member 37 is circular in plan and a periphery of said locking member at the points designated 40 is adapted to engage cut awayportions 41 of the base flanges 42 of the-rail 9 and-lock said rail in engagement with the stops 8. The member 40 is cut away, as at 42 to provide clearance for the end of the rail 9 when it is being shifted and the rails 4 and 6 adjacent to said member are cut away, as at 43 to provide clearance for said member.

44 denotes wedge shaped blocks arranged between the ends of the rails 4, 5 and 6 and suitably connected to said rails. One of the blocks is cut away to provide clearance for the member 37. The rails 4, 5 and 6 can be riveted or otherwise connected to the'plate 3.

As will be seen by reference to Fig. 3, the wheel 33 and gear 35 are of a relative size such as to cause movements of the rod 34 to provide relatively rapid movement to the locking member 37, this particular structure being of importance in the operation of the device as now disclosed.

With the parts in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, in which the rail 9 is shown as forming the connection between the two rail sections 4, it will be seen that the locking member 37 is in a position where its outer riding face is in contact with the rail 9, locking the rail absolutely against movement. To shift the rail 9 to connect rail sections 5 and'6, the rod 26 is operated, being moved toward the right in Fig. 1, during which movement the following successive operations take place: Owing to the loose mountin or play at the ends of the rods 28 and 28 the initial movement of rod 26 simply causes the rods 28 and 28 to move freely through the rail in opposite directions without affectin the position of the latter; during this initial movement of the rod 26, however, the rod 34 is also. moved positively to rotate the sector wheel 33 which, in turn, rotates gear wheel 35 and locking member 37, this movement causing the outer riding face of the locking member to pass beyond the rail 9' and placing the inner face in position to permit passage of the rail 9 past a line intersecting the pivot points of the rail 9 and member 37 When the inner face is so positioned, the movements of the rods 28 and 28 have been such as to bring the proper inner and outernuts 30, respectively, of the 34 to the end of the rods 28 and 28 into contact with the rail 9, so that a further movement of the rod 26 will cause the rail contacting nuts 30 to move the rail in the direction to turn it to connect the other pair of rails 5 and 6. Owing to the factthat there is a relatively increasing rate of movement of the locking member 37, due to the difference in size of the wheels 33 and 35, when the rail 9 has reached an intermediate point, the rear abutment formed by the radial connection of the outer ridin and inner faces of the locking member, W1 1 contact with the rail 9 and, by

reason of the more rapid movement, act to shift the rail 9 to its position in alinement with the rail sections 5 and 6, this movement carrying the rail 9 out of contact with the nuts 30 which have been acting as the moving element for the rail and providing a relative movement of the rods and rail 9, so as to provide play between the nuts and the rail. When the rail 9 has been moved to its proper position, the rail 9 passes out of contact with the rear wall of the locking member referred to, bringing the outer riding face in contact with the opposite side of the rail, the pivotal movement of the looking member being continued by the final movement of the rod 26, this final movement carrying the locking member a suificient distance to effectually lock the rail in position, the play provided by the relative movement of rail 9 and rods 28 and 28 caused by the more rapid movement of the locking member 37, as described, permitting said rods 28 to have the necessary movement after the rail 9 has reached its position. When the rail 9 is to be returned, the operation is exactly reverse. each instance, there is an initial movement of the locking member to release the lock, a positive shifting operation by the rods 28 and 28 for a portion of the distance followed by a release of this shifting function of the rods by reason of the locking member takin up the work of shifting the rail and carrying it to the new position and finally locking it in that position.

To prevent displacement of the ties supporting the bearings 18 to 20 inclusive, said ties can be connected by a plate 44-, spiked or otherwise secured to the ties.

What we claim is 1. In a switch frog, the combination with converging rails, and a frog plate supporting said rails, of a movable rail pivotally mounted'upon said frog plate, curved arms carried by said movable rail, guides carried by said frog plate and adapted to guide said arms, and means including bell cranks, levers and rods adapted to move said movable rail, and a locking member operated by said means for retaining the movable rail in osition relatively to the converging rails, said memberaiding in moving the rail to position.

As will be readily understood, in

2. In a switch frog, the combination with converging rails, and a frog plate supporting said rails, of a movable rail pivotally mounted upon said frog plate, curved arms carried by said movable rail, guides carried by said frog plate and adapted to ide said arms, means including bell era 5, levers and rods adapted to move said movable rail, and means including gear wheels and a rotatable locking head adapted to hold said movable rail in an adjusted position.

3. In a switch frog, the combinationwith converging rails, and a frog plate adapted to support said rails, of a movable rail pivotally mounted upon the said frog plate, guides carried by said frog plate, curved arms'carried by said movable rail and extending into said guides, a sectional casing carried by said movable rail and inclosing said arms, a rotatable locking head movably mountedupon said frog plate and adapted to lock said movable rail in an adjusted position, and means adapted to simultaneously move said movable rail and said locking head.

4. In a frog switch, a frog plate, a movable rail pivotally mounted upon said frog plate, a locking head movably mounted upon said frog plate and adapted to lock said rail in an adjusted position, said head aiding in moving the rail to position, means including bell cranks, levers and rods adapted to move said movable rail, and means actuated by said rods and adapted to move said head in advance of said rail.

5. In a railway frog, a pivotally mounted rail section adapted to be positioned to complete the line of either of converging tracks, and means for moving said rail to the desired position, said means including an element movable in advance of the rail and movable relatively to the rail and cooperating therewith to lock the rail in either position.

6. In a railway frog, a pivotally mounted rail section ada ted to be positioned to complete the line 0 either of converging'tracks, and means for moving said rail to the desired position, said means including a rotatable element adapted to lock the rail in either position.

7. In a railway frog, a pivotally mounted rail section ada ted to be positioned to complete the line 0 either of converging tracks, and means for moving said rail to the desired position, said means including a rotatable element adapted to lock the rail in either position, said latter element being active to shift the rail during the latter por tion of its movement.

8. In a railway frog, a ivoted rail sectlon adapted to complete t e line of either of two converging tracks, and independent rail from one position to the other, said means operating successively, one of said means locking the rail in either position, said locking means including a rotatable element.

9. In a railway frog, a pivotally mounted rail section adapted to be positioned to complete the line of either of converging tracks, and means for moving said rail to the desired position, said means including an element adapted to intersect the travel path of the rail to lock it in either position by a continuation of the movement of said means.

10. In a railway frog, a pivotally mount ed rail section adapted to be positioned to complete the line of either of converging tracks, and means including a movable element cooperating with the rail for moving said rail and looking it in the desired position, the release and locking movements being respectively inadvance and subsequent to the movements of the rail from one position to another, said element intersecting the travel path of the rail when in looking position.

11. In a railway frog, a pivotally mounted rail section adapted to be positioned to complete the line of either of converging tracks, and means for moving said rail to the desired position, said means including a rotatable element adapted to lock the rail in either position, said element comprising a member having an abutment adaptedto sition.

12. In a railway frog, a pivotally mounted rail section adapted to be positioned to complete the line of either of converging tracks, and means for moving'sai'd rail 'to the desired position, said means including a rotatable element adapted to lock the rail in either position, said element comprising a member having abutments to complete the movements of the rail in either direction.

13. Inarailway frog, a pivotally mounted rail section adapted to be positioned to complete the line of elther of converging tracks, and means for moving said rail to the desired position, said means including a rotatable element adapted to lock the rail in either position, said element comprlsing a member having abutmentstocom lete the movements of the rail in either irection, and also having a face adapted to act to retain the rail in its position.

tures in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES HOLDSWORTH. FRANK R. BLACKBURN. Witnesses:

MAX H. Snonovm, Cnmsma T. Hoon.

complete the movement of the rail to its po- In testimony whereof we afiix our signa means actuated in common for moving the r 

